Here’s a fun move that is good practice for working with double-rod manipulation and it’s pretty impressive when done well. Watch the vid to see how I make a puppet rub his tummy and pat his head. Remember, your puppet’s arms and your hand may work differently… play with it and find the best option for you.

I gotta be honest. I don’t see a lot of applications or potential for using this particular technique, but darn-it, it’s cool. And since this is one of my most frequently-requested puppet moves, I share it with you now. (This method requires a good working knowledge of double-rod manipulation.)

Are you ready for more nuts-and-bolts puppet manipulation training? This little vid demonstrates how to make a puppet look like he’s doin’ a backstroke. This technique requires a good working knowledge of Double Rod Manipulation and is a follow-up to the immensly popular Swimming vid.

There are different ways to make a puppet look like he’s swimming. In this puppeteer training video, Amy shows one way to do the front crawl–a difficult but impressive puppetry technique. This advanced puppetry move requires a basic working knowledge of double-rod manipulation.

Producing a believable clapping motion with your puppet is an impressive show of puppetry skill. Clapping takes time to learn and requires practice to master. Here’s a short instructional clip from my Harder Moves Video Lecture Notes, originally created for I-Fest 2006. (This method requires a good working knowledge of double-rod manipulation.)

This little video is a primer on double rod movement. Two-rod manipulation is a skill that takes time to master, so grab a puppet and play along! And remember, this demo is just the way I do it… your fingers may work differently. Experiment to see what works best for you.